Beck Summer Tour 2012

Beck’s little batch of tour dates kicks off today!

In case you missed it, Beck is doing 4 shows this week up the west coast headed to Sasquatch Festival in Washington, 2 shows in NYC around the Governor’s Ball Festival, and then 2 shows in August including Outside Lands Festival in San Francisco. I have no idea if other shows are in the cards or not (I’d hope so). I also have no idea what to expect, but do know that Justin Meldal-Johnsen, Roger Joseph Manning Jr. and Joey Waronker are in the band again. One site claims Smokey Hormel is back also! We’ll know in about six hours if that’s true. :)

If anyone is going to any of these shows, please keep good track of the setlist for me and send it along. If anyone wants to ustream it through their phone back to Beck fans worldwide, also let me know and we’ll host your stream link.

Also, similarly, I’ve been updating Hijacked Flavors with lots of information lately, mostly opening acts and band members and stuff. But if anyone saw Beck, in the ’90s in particular, and remembers ANYTHING about the shows please pass it on. Even if it’s a vague recollection or just one song you remember for sure I’d like to add it. :)

Finally, join our Facebook group: more ‘news’-y things happen there than I care to post regularly here. :) Also if everything works out I’ll occasionally post in there live from the shows I’m going to (tonight and Thursday).

Tonight’s show, I won’t lie, is making me quite nostalgiac. Not only with JMJ, RJMJ, Smokey and Joey… but the El Rey. My first Beck concert was in 1997 on the Odelay tour, and it was awesome. But it was the second one I saw at the El Rey shortly after the Odelay tour that really kicked off my Beck bootleg collecting. That night, “Beck and Friends” played a whole bunch of acoustic/country vibe songs, as a sort of way to come down after the long Odelay tours. Hearing Odelay live was amazing, but realizing Beck could also play other styles? Since I couldn’t go to every concert, I took to listening to as many as possible. And here we are. Beck’s at the El Rey again. 14.5 years later.

I hope it’s not a pure nostalgiac show (except for “Where It’s At”), I’m not ready for Beck to go there. So fingers crossed this summer leads to some news about more regular new music. But regardless, there’s going to be some good concerts!

As noted, the power went out halfway through the loud & funky-grunge-y set. With nothing but the emergency battery lights over the exit doors, Beck grabbed his acoustic and sat on the lip of the very low stage, playing solo campfire songs to the 300 or so people in the room. (It was a small room, and felt crowded.) Sadly I do not recall the impromptu acoustic setlist, but it included a few beloved songs from One Foot In the Grave and (maybe?) Heartland Feeling, maybe Modesto … a magic night, sorry I don’t recall the exact list.

OH Man! Just found this post in a search.. My daughter got tickets for her and myself for the just announced Bimbo’s Show tomorrow night in San Francisco!! Just checked the setlist from El Rey and almost soiled myself.. Isn’t Manning touring with Ringo now? Is there any chance i’m going to see a similar show to the L.A. show, i mean either in set or the band? I can’t find anything that shows who he is touring with…

Maybe a review of the Vegas show tonight will reveal.. Oh man, i’m so stoked.. wasn’t too blown away in 2005 with the Puppet thing, but to see almost all of Sea Change with the original players ni L.A. must have been freaking amazing… pardon the rambling

I saw Beck play in New Zealand in the mid 90′s and an odd thing happened. The sound turned to custard so badly that the show ground to a halt. Beck then picked up an acoustic guitar and rolled through some numbers sending the crowd into a frenzy, the sound was then restored and the show went on. I’ve been arguing with my friends for decades as to whether it was staged or not, I guess KL might have just answered the question……….